As you may have noticed, posting on MSF has been a little bit more relaxed and sparse than normal this week. The reason is that we are all winding down from the craziness and excitement of the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl while preparing for two of the greatest events in the sports season: pitchers & catchers reporting and March Madness.
Of course, breaking news in the sports world does wait until you are ready for write about it. Case in point this weekend, and the not-so-startling allegations that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003. And just in case you were wondering whether or not this really is a big story, take a look at this screenshot from the front page of BallHype:
Never in my BallHype experience (which, granted, is only the last four or five months) have I ever seen a story break triple digits in either hypes or links. The SI.com ARod story broke triple digits in both.
Wow. I guess it’s important, huh? Just so MSF doesn’t stick out like a boner in church as the only sports website on earth not linking to the SI.com article, here you go.
I am assuming that no one needs me to summarize the story. In case you do, here it is: ARod tested positive for steroids in 2003 and refused to deny the allegations when confronted by SI writer Selena Roberts. Additionally, as has been reported everywhere, just last year ARod denied ever using steroids in an interview with Katie Couric. Here is the video of said denial on CBS’ Eye to Eye:
Ouch.
ARod’s reputation has already taken hits over the past few years for his poor clutch performances, the failure of the Yankees to succeed in the playoffs, his divorce and rumored flings with Madonna, and the recent revelations from Joe Torre’s book that teammates referred to him as “A-Fraud”.
Now we have every reason to believe that ARod was among the hundreds (and maybe thousands) of Major Leaguers caught up in steroid use in the 90s and early 00s. Plus, to make matters even worse for ARod, we have distinct visual evidence of him apparently lying though his teeth on national television.
It might be the understatement to the century to say that this is not good for perhaps the most talented player in the history of Major League Baseball.
Despite consistent explicit and implied references to ARod’s douchebaggery throughout the sports blogosphere and media over the past decade, his one saving grace has always been the belief by most that Alex Rodriguez arrived at his monstrous numbers “legitimately” without the aid of performance-enhancing drugs. He will not have that going for him any longer.
Additionally, baseball fans who have already been conditioned to question every significant statistical achievement will now have even less belief in the legitimacy of the statistics from the “Juiced Era” of Major League Baseball. As the guys at Flash Sports Tonight so aptly pointed out a few years ago with their sublime music video, they are all a bunch of cheating liars:
Amazingly, this video originally came out before any specific allegations had become public about Roger Clemens. They obviously nailed that one right on the head. But not even the clairvoyant writers of FST could predict that Alex Rodriguez would someday be implicated in the far-reaching steroids era of Major League Baseball.
Alex Rodriguez has now seen his name added to one of the most infamous and ignominious lists in the history of sports: the list of alleged and known steroid and HGH users in Major League Baseball. Here is the complete list so far, courtesy of BaseballsSteroidEra.com.
List of Alleged or Known Steroids and HGH Users in Major League Baseball
———-
Implicated Players
- Mark McGwire
- Manny Alexander
- Chuck Finley
- Barry Bonds
- Marvin Bernard
- Randy Velarde
- Wilson Alvarez
- Bret Boone
- Ozzie Canseco
- Juan Gonzalez
- Dave Martinez
- Ivan Rodriguez
- Tony Saunders
- Miguel Tejada
- Lenny Dykstra
- Roger Clemens
- Andy Pettitte
- Brian Roberts
- Jay Gibbons
- Gary Matthews Jr.
- David Bell
- Darren Holmes
- Rick Ankiel
- Troy Glaus
- Scott Schoeneweis
- Matt Williams
- Jose Guillen
- Ismael Valdez
- Magglio Ordonez
- Alex Rodriguez
Admitted Users
- Ken Caminiti
- Bobby Estalella
- Jason Giambi
- Jeremy Giambi
- Armando Rios
- Benito Santiago
- Gary Sheffield
- Jose Canseco
- Tom House
- Wally Joyner
- Jim Leyritz
- Paxton Crawford
- Jason Grimsley
- David Segui
- John Rocker
- Paul Byrd
- Shane Monahan
MLB Positive Tests
- Alex Sanchez
- Jorge Piedra
- Agustin Montero
- Jamal Strong
- Juan Rincon
- Rafael Betancourt
- Rafael Palmeiro
- Ryan Franklin
- Mike Morse
- Carlos Almanzar
- Felix Heredia
- Matt Lawton
- Yusaku Iriki
- Guillermo Mota
- Juan Salas
- Dan Sefarini
- Eliezer Alfonzo
- Humberto Cota
- Henry Owens
- JC Romero
- Sergio Mitre
Players Implicated in Mitchell Report
- Ricky Bones
- Alex Cabrera
- Larry Bigbie
- Jack Cust
- Tim Laker
- Todd Hundley
- Hal Morris
- Mark Carreon
- Matt Franco
- Rondell White
- Chuck Knoblauch
- Greg Zaun
- David Justice
- FP Santangelo
- Glenallen Hill
- Mo Vaughn
- Denny Neagle
- Ron Villone
- Chris Donnels
- Todd Williams
- Phil Hiatt
- Todd Pratt
- Kevin Young
- Mike Lansing
- Cody McKay
- Kent Mercker
- Adam Piatt
- Jason Christiansen
- Mike Stanton
- Stephen Randolph
- Paul Lo Duca
- Adam Riggs
- Bart Miadich
- Fernando Vina
- Kevin Brown
- Eric Gagne
- Mike Bell
- Matt Herges
- Gary Bennett Jr.
- Jim Parque
- Brendan Donnelly
- Chad Allen
- Jeff Williams
- Howie Clark
- Nook Logan
Other
- Termel Sledge
- Derek Turnbow
- Dave Hollis
- Rico Brogna
Once again, this list is available and constantly updated over at BaseballsSteroidsEra.com, and I highly suggest that you visit their site to learn more about the latest allegations and history of PED use in baseball.
I guess at the end of the day I am really not surprised in the least that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids. The ARod allegations have erased whatever benefit-of-the-doubt was left about certain players who we all thought might have been clean. About the only players I can think of who could have allegations of steroid use brought against them that would surprise me are Frank Thomas and Greg Maddux. But honestly, even if they were accused of steroid use I would probably just shrug my shoulders and not think much more about it.
Like Rasheed Wallace said: it is what it is, and it do what it do.
I still play fantasy baseball, I still watch every White Sox game that is on TV here in Dallas, and I still love the game. It pisses me off that these players thought that they could cheat and get away with it, and I do not understand why players do not just come forward and be up front about it. The lying and disrespect is what really pisses me off, and fans in general I think; but I think forgiveness will come pretty easily for players who just come clean.
We’ll see how Alex Rodriguez handles the latest allegations that have rocked the Major League Baseball world. Sadly, my expectation is that he will continue his history of douchebaggery and try to find some way to deny it and evade blame. I already don’t have much respect for ARod, other than obvious respect for his prodigious talent. I think he has an opportunity to earn some respect from the baseball world for being one of the few guys to take a stand-up and honest approach to dealing with steroid allegations.
I doubt he will though, which will cement his legacy as nothing more than most talented of the cheating liars who have tainted the integrity of America’s Pastime.
